Jong Tae-se facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jong Tae-se
정대세 鄭大世
チョン・テセ

Jong in action with North Korea against Brazil at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Jong Tae-se (South Korea) Jong Tae Se (North Korea) Chong Tese (Japan)
Date of birth	(1984-03-02) 2 March 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1997–1999	Toshun Korean Middle School
1999–2002	Aichi Korean High School
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2005	Korea University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	Kawasaki Frontale	112	(46)
2010–2012	VfL Bochum	39	(14)
2012–2013	1. FC Köln	10	(0)
2013–2015	Suwon Bluewings	72	(23)
2015–2020	Shimizu S-Pulse	106	(45)
2020	→ Albirex Niigata (loan)	26	(9)
2021–2022	Machida Zelvia	67	(11)
Total		432	(148)
International career
2007–2011	North Korea	33	(15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jong Tae-se, also known as Chong Tese, is a former professional footballer. He played as a forward. Born in Japan, he represented the North Korea national team in international games. He famously played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Jong is one of the few North Korean players who have played in Japan's J-League and Germany's 2. Bundesliga.

Early Life and Background

Jong was born in Nagoya, Japan, on March 2, 1984. His father was a South Korean citizen, and his mother had Joseon citizenship. Because of his father's family background, Jong was considered a South Korean national when he was born.

His mother sent him to a private school in Japan. This school was run by Chongryon, a group that has strong ties to the North Korean government. Jong started playing football at the elementary school club there. Later, he attended Korea University in Tokyo, which also received funding from Chongryon.

Because of his upbringing, Jong and his family consider themselves North Korean. Chongryon acts like North Korea's unofficial embassy in Japan. They gave Jong a North Korean passport. This allowed him to play for North Korea in football, following the rules of FIFA and the AFC. This situation meant he had a kind of dual nationality, being connected to both North and South Korea.

Jong speaks several languages fluently. He knows Korean and Japanese. He also learned Portuguese from his Brazilian teammates when he played for Kawasaki Frontale in Japan. Later, he learned German while playing football in Germany.

Jong has always said that sports should be separate from politics. He made this clear after some disagreements happened during a match between North Korea and Japan in 2011.

Club Football Journey

Jong joined Kawasaki Frontale in 2006. He quickly became one of their best players and a top striker in the J-League. In early 2010, he even had a trial with the English club Blackburn Rovers.

After the 2010 World Cup, Jong moved to Germany to play for VfL Bochum. He played there for about a year and a half in the 2. Bundesliga. In January 2012, he moved to 1. FC Köln in the top German league, the Bundesliga. However, he didn't get much playing time there.

On January 3, 2013, Jong announced he would move to South Korea. He joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings, a club in the K League 1. He had wanted to make this move for a while. After some discussions, Jong was officially registered as a South Korean player in the K-League and for the AFC Champions League.

He scored his first goal for Suwon on April 6, 2013, in a 3–1 win against Daegu FC. Two weeks later, on April 20, he scored three goals in one game, helping his team win 4–1 against Daejeon Citizen.

On July 8, 2015, Jong moved back to Japan. He joined Shimizu S-Pulse to help them avoid being relegated from the top league. He immediately became a starting player for the team. He later played for Albirex Niigata on loan in 2020 and then for Machida Zelvia from 2021 to 2022.

Playing for His Country

Jong's first international game for North Korea was on June 19, 2007. It was a qualifying match for the 2008 East Asian Football Championship against Mongolia. He scored his first international goal in that game. He ended up scoring four goals in that match, which North Korea won 7–0. He also played in the main tournament in 2008 and was one of the top scorers.

Jong was a very important player for North Korea during their qualification for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. It was the first time in 44 years that North Korea had qualified for the World Cup.

He became famous for crying during the North Korean national anthem before their first World Cup match in South Africa against Brazil. In that game, he helped set up Ji Yun-nam's goal, though North Korea lost 2–1.

The English press sometimes called him "the People's Rooney". However, Jong himself said his playing style was more like Didier Drogba.

Career Statistics Summary

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

See also

In Spanish: Jong Tae-se para niños